Mahathir in CNN

My idol. Forever.

Penang's FDI free fall due to poor leadership

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's recent admission of turning down of an FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) worth US$3 billion due to his inability to guarantee the prospective investor 1,000 engineers is a shocking case of poor decision-making and incompetence that unfortunately has become the hallmark of the DAP-led Penang state government in the last 18 months.

In all my more than two decades of working experience in the high-tech manufacturing industry around the world, I have never seen a single instance where a state or country turned down a US$3 billion high-tech investment for such a reason.

Any other country or state would have spared no effort to fulfill the investor's every need and requirement in order to secure an investment of such importance and magnitude. What is even more alarming is the chief minister's lack of knowledge of the industry as well as the capabilities and resources available within his own state.

It is hard to comprehend how Guan Eng can allow such a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to slip away as he had numerous options to find the required number of engineers. It is inexcusable that the CM is ignorant of the fact that Penang-based companies like Intel, Altera, Renesas, AMD, Spansion, Osram, Bosch, Lumiled, Agilent, Motorola and many others employ tens of thousands of engineers. In fact, many of these companies have made Penang as their global Research and Development (R & D) centres.

Firstly, local and foreign universities produce Electrical and Electronics (E & E) engineers by the thousands. Secondly, several thousand Penang (and Malaysian) engineers work overseas in countries like Singapore, Taiwan and the US. Many of these engineers would jump at the chance to return home and contribute to the national development and be nearer to their families and friends.

Thirdly, Guan Eng could have followed the example of some high-tech companies (for example, Siltera, Infineon, etc) by recruiting highly specialised engineers from foreign countries as an interim measure until local replacements could be found. A more competent CM would have been aware that countries such as the Philippines and India produce and export English-educated engineers who could be hired in large quantities and at an affordable cost.

Another source of technical resource are retired Japanese engineers, whom the Korean firms have used in the past with stunning effect to bridge the technological gap with their more advanced rivals in high-tech industries.

Fourthly, Guan Eng could have approached the Human Resources Ministry, public and private universities, professional bodies or even other Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states for their assistance in acquiring the necessary engineering resources.

Unfortunately, the Penang CM undertook none of the above-mentioned actions and instead he chose to go the press and lament about the loss and as usual tried to shift the blame onto his political nemeses.

Despite alleged shortcomings, the previous administration under Koh Tsu Khoon did a remarkable job in attracting high-tech FDI, transforming the state from a low-cost assembly center to a high-tech, high value-added design and manufacturing hub.

Tragically, instead of building upon the excellent foundation laid down by his predecessor, Lim Guan Eng appears to have done irreparable damage to the competitiveness of the state by poor decision-making and mismanagement in the last 18 months.

Guan Eng has been lucky that Koh's good work has resulted in a record-breaking RM10.2 billion in FDI for the year 2008. However, as I had correctly predicted, FDI for 2009 had dried up and the result for 2010 likely be gloomier still. Other states like Johor, Perak, Sarawak and even Selangor have done far better and left Penang way behind.

Guan Eng is without doubt the state leader who had made the most number of foreign visits to solicit for FDI. Sadly, he also holds the unwanted distinction of being the least productive as well. For none of these trips seems to have produced any result as we have yet to see a single significant FDI project won solely through the efforts of the new CM.

The reason is not hard to fathom - the state agencies entrusted to bring in FDI are filled with political appointees with little experience or capabilities. Most of these officials seem to be more preoccupied with politics than investment-related tasks.

In the past Guan Eng and DAP had often bitterly complained about the 'brain drain' of Malaysian professionals and skilled workers to other countries due to the lack of opportunities at home. However, in this case, Lim and his DAP themselves are guilty of contributing to the 'brain drain' by squandering such a golden opportunity.

source: malaysiakini

note: while i was seeking info for my computer literature, i saw this. brainy out there, come and give me some figures or fact that can support or against this post ;)

PPSMI

I always pray that this will never happen but who am I to vote so when idiots won the majority for the abolition?

Hey idiots, it’s only for two subjects that will be taught in English: Mathematics and Science.

I really feel like washing their brains that have been rusty for ages.

I always feel weird when some people said that by teaching Science and Mathematics in English will give a hard time to the students and worse this great move will lead to the vanishing of Bahasa Melayu which I think purely ridiculous.

When the first time it was introduced, yes we didn’t have a beautiful chart to brag about but after some times, it became better and better each year.

Some people even complaints about there are a lot of problem to those students in the rural. Are you suggesting that we have to move backward to the rural level and stuck there until those students manage to cope with the world? If the rural students want to be success, they don’t have any other choice than to study hard and practice it. If they are entitle to continue study and will be studying abroad, do you think they will still use Bahasa Melayu in other people’s country? You wish.

Most of the reference books are in English. Do you know how hard for the students to translate English-Malay and Malay-English?

As example:

Server (English) = Pelayan (Malay)

Joystick (English) = Batang Ria (Malay)

… and you think it’s good for our future? I have to read the books, remember them in English and then I have to translate to Bahasa Melayu to answer the assignment and exam questions.

Nothing much to say since it’s already been decided. The weird thing I don’t understand is why the oldies fighting for the abolition but the youth are against them? Do they know that this is important to the youth not to them anymore since they are counting days to leave this world soon? Maybe sooner.

Note 1: No wonder some officers in my company can’t speak or write decent English.

Note 2: Congratulation Malaysia.

circus

I believe these peoples are intellectually oriented but most of them shout, use vulgar words and act harshly doesn’t matter in parliament or outside.

Both parties.

If you ever see this advertisement:

“Don’t try this at home”

You should tell your kid:

“Don’t try this anywhere”


Malaysia oh Malaysia!

Teresa Kok: Similarly or Slightly Better?

I’ve watched the news tonight and Teresa’s statement becomes a circus joke now. The video above showed her statement before and tonight she said that Utusan Malaysia manipulated her statement by writing about she said the food in ISA was similar to dog food. She told reporters today that she said it was slightly better. Eh, then who said similar as the video above? Sigh.

What is new?

I have nothing much to say today just a little bit of politic and technology.

I would agree with Mukhriz about UMNO should stay focus on rebuilding UMNO rather than focusing on DSAI. UMNO has been paralyzed since the greatest tsunami in March. Therefore, they should step back on the track and focus on what is important and ignore the craps.

About ISA, 2 out and 1 remain. Now Teresa has been released and she is fighting for justice about no solid reason for her detention. Let see what is next.

Penang will be the first WiFi state. This is really good news as Penang is not that big and this can attract foreigner from other countries. Penang is a well known beautiful state which is famous for its historical places, beautiful beaches and good foods.


Till later.

Internal Security Act (ISA)

Don’t use ISA, says Zaid

KOTA BARU: De facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (pic) stuck his neck out against the Government by condemning the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) against civilians.

He urged the Government to revert to the original purpose of the law, which was to curb communism.

“It is time for the Government to go back to the original spirit of the ISA and it should only be used on armed terrorists or those out to topple the Government by force.

“I am not calling for a repeal of the ISA but for it to be used only when there is a real threat to national security and not on civilians,” he told a press conference at his home in Pasir Hor here yesterday.

According to Zaid, he was prepared to accept any consequences from his apparent breaking of ranks from the Cabinet over the issue of the ISA.

He said he was also willing to step down as a minister if his actions were deemed to have undermined the Government and Cabinet.

“I do not want to cause any trouble for Pak Lah (Abdullah). I respect what he is trying to change but on the matter of the ISA, I am against imposing it on civilians. I joined his administration to make changes and everybody knows, I am also for a more open-form of press reporting.”

Zaid was commenting on the arrests of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok and Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin on Friday under the Act. Tan was released on Saturday.

By using the ISA randomly, Zaid said, the Government was sending a message that it did not trust the capabilities of its own enforcement agencies such as the police in maintaining peace.

“There were ample punitive law to act against lawbreakers without having to invoke the ISA,” Zaid said.

Zaid, who is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s department, said the use of the ISA also creates an impression of selective prosecution as the Government cannot seemingly incarcerate everybody but only a handful.

“In this latest episode of ISA, we (the Government) have generated an impression of selective prosecution since no action was taken against the person who allegedly uttered seditious remarks. We are saying that we are only acting against those who are disloyal to us.”

He said he was glad that Tan was released but was concerned over the continued detention of the other two.

(source: TheStar)

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BN members lash out at the arrests

PETALING JAYA: Ministers and party leaders within Barisan Nasional have lashed out at Friday’s ISA arrests.

Some have gone as far as to call for the Act to be comprehensively reviewed, while others maintained that the draconian law is still relevant but should never be abused or used against civilians.

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said MCA felt that if the ISA was really necessary, it must only be invoked in the most extreme cases.

Otherwise, he said, the Act would be a threat to the rule of law and the fundamental liberties as enshrined in the Constitution.

“In fact, even the drafter of the ISA, the late Prof R.H. Hickling, had said the Act was only intended against communist insurgents and those bent on armed struggle.

“If at all national security is threatened, there must be strong evidence to show that. Otherwise, such detainees should be charged in an ordinary court of law and there are sufficient laws for this purpose,” he said.

MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said he felt that the Act should be “comprehensively reviewed”.

“We need to review this Act comprehensively to see its relevance today,” he said.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad said it was necessary to retain the Act but it should be used wisely.

He said he had never asked for it to be abolished or reviewed as it was still needed here.

“It is still necessary but it should be used with care.”

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the arrests of reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had put the Government in a bad light.

“For any arrest there must be a reason and it must be clearly explained to the public,” he said.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn criticised Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s explanation on the detention of Tan, who has since been released.

He said Syed Hamid’s explanation — that her arrest under the ISA was because her life was under threat — was “totally unacceptable.”

“It was a feeble attempt to justify the use of the ISA on Tan. By detaining her under the ISA, police have turned her into a victim of circumstances,” Dr Fong wrote in his blog www.fongchanonn.com.my yesterday.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai called for the ISA to be reviewed so that it would not be abused by any quarters to undermine national unity, security and stability.

Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Gerakan had called for the amendment of the ISA but not its abolition.

He said the Act should be used only when dealing with national security and not against journalists carrying out their duties.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the Government should be sensitive to the feelings of the people and not be blind to the fact that a significant proportion of the rakyat abhor the ISA and would prefer it not to be used.

“Every time somebody is arrested under the ISA, it gives rise to a perception that the Government is doing it because it is not able to charge and convict the person under existing laws,” he said.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said some aspects of the ISA ought to be subjected to intermittent review but its function to prevent occurrences that divide the community should be respected.

(source: TheStar)

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These few days, people were talking about Internal Security Act known as ISA. Some agreed and some disagreed. It gives me headache when everyday people talk about this thing again and again. Worse when they talk without using a brain.

Actually I agree with Datuk Zaid and I bet many other ministers agree with him too. Just that others love their position so much which make them stay silent and just agree at the current situation. Ministers have been given responsibility and our trust to help Prime Minister to manage the country. But it seems it’s just a one way agreement, leader makes some points and the rest just agree without even dare to make other points which are against the leader (exactly the same at any company, don’t you think? We blame Hitler for the unfair leadership yet we work at a Hitler company and live in the Hitler land. Weird isn’t it?). I don’t agree ISA can be used easily. ISA should be the last resort and it is only for certain cases. I won’t elaborate about the cases that should be listed for ISA but government should think properly about how ISA works if it won’t be vanished from Malaysia.

I’m with you Datuk Zaid! Bravo!

Devil Hair band

Tuesday September 2, 2008

Children made into 'devils' at Merdeka do

SOME children as young as two were made into 'junior devils' by their parents and guardians at the Merdeka celebrations in Shah Alam on Sunday, claimed a Malay daily.

Harian Metro said the parents bought the children 'hair clips' in the shape of the Devil's horns, which cost some RM8 apiece.

The daily said many parents seemed happy watching their children wearing these 'hair clips', which came with light ornaments.

Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Datuk Khusrin Munawai urged Muslims to stop buying the hair clips or better yet, to destroy them.

"These hair clips are haram (illegal)," he said.

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Marina Mahathir said:

How do our JAIS people know what devils look like in the first place? Where does it say that hair clips ( I would call them hair bands) with horns are haram?

And they say in Islam, all that is haram are very big things, not tiny little boobytraps that are constantly being invented to turn us all into little devils. And yes, yes, I know Harian Metro needs to sell itself and it has the highest circulation of all our newspapers. Which just shows the thirst for nonsense that exists in this country of ours.

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This is what I say:

Usually I would agree with her points if it is against any of the parties or departments. But this time it’s hard for me to agree. I am not against what she thinks but I got my simple opinion too.

To me, it is obvious that this hair band refer to devil’s horn. Is there anyone out there would call it a bull or ox horn instead? I doubt.

They can make and sell bunny hair band or maybe some other cute creatures if they want to but why devil horn? Yes no one ever see the real devil or some called it Satan but we all know how to draw devil’s picture at least by drawing the horn part too?

Sometimes we have to agree with others too even though we are well educated. It’s ok if she doesn’t agree with me :)

P/s: to debate against religious department with reason like this showing our ignorance

(source: RantingsbyMM)

Anwar the 6th Prime Minister?

RAMALAN SUMBER DALAMAN

16 Sept. DSAI Angkat Sumpah Sebagai PM Malaysia - 10 pagi
15 Sept. DSAI mohon restu Agong. 9:20 mlm
15 Sept. DSAI mengadap DYMM AGONG. 6:15 ptg
15 Sept. DSAI mengisytiharkan pembentukan PAKATAN sebagai Kerajaan baru di TV1,TV2,TV3,Bernama TV,Awani Astro secara siaran langsung - 8:00 mlm 12 Sept. Sidang Tergempar mengusulkan DSAI membentuk ‘Caretaker Government”
10 Sept. PM mengumumkan perletakan jawatan.
9 Sept. Sidang Tergempar Parlimen di panggil.
8 Sept. 5 Menteri & Timbalan BN Letak Jawatan
7 Sept. 10 Ahli Parlimen BN umum pindah kerusi Parlimen ke PAKATAN
6 Sept. Semua komponen BN dari Semenanjung keluar BN kecuali MCA & MIC
5 Sept. Semua Parti Komponen BN dari Sabah & Sarawak isytihar keluar BN

(sumber: ted baker)

ISPs ordered to cut access to Malaysia Today website

PETALING JAYA: All 21 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country have been ordered by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block the controversial Malaysia Today website, an industry source revealed.

The notices were sent out on Tuesday in accordance with Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

“This means that MCMC is allowed to block any particular website which has committed acts that contravene the local laws of the country, for example, sedition,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin lashed out against the blocking of the online portal, saying it was a breach of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) charter.

Under the MSC Malaysia 10-Point Bill of Guarantees, it is stated that as part of its commitment to ensuring the success of MSC Status companies, the Government promised to “ensure no Internet censorship”.

“The Government has clearly broken its own promise,” said Raja Petra yesterday. Asked whether he was notified of the reasons of the blocking, he answered no.

“I will turn this into a big issue, no doubt. When it is known that the Government has violated the charter, MSC will die. I will personally see to it,” he said.

TMnet, the country's biggest ISP, Maxis and Time refused to comment.

However, at 11.30pm, a check by The Star found that Malaysia Today has launched a mirror site which can be easily accessed.

(source: the star)

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Don’t you think it is weird when you can’t do anything to him but playing games here and there? Why don’t sue him or jail him instead of playing game like this? Or you just can’t do it?

If they keep doing this and point at his article as sedition but yet he is smiling proudly and continue writing, what do you think citizens will think? If what he says is not true, why don’t a proper action taken on him? You want citizen to believe you instead of him? I doubt.

Our Lovely Parliament

Wow! Don't you think these videos are great?

Permatang Pauh Election [Part 3]

A supporter with a mask of Anwar Ibrahim, an opposition figure running in a by-election in a district in Malaysia’s north.

By THOMAS FULLER

Published: August 26, 2008

GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia — Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of Malaysia’s opposition, easily defeated his opponent from the country’s ruling coalition in a closely watched by-election on Tuesday, making a return to Parliament after a decade-long absence.

Official results from Malaysia’s election commission showed Mr. Anwar winning about two-thirds of the vote in his home district of Permatang Pauh, in northern Penang State, despite heavy campaigning by senior officials from the country’s longstanding governing coalition.

Mr. Anwar won 31,195 votes compared with 15,524 for the government candidate, Arif Shah Omar Shah, amid a high voter turnout of 81 percent.

The victory makes it theoretically possible for Mr. Anwar to carry out his promise to win over enough members of the coalition by mid-September, to form his own government and become prime minister.

“We are entering Parliament with a clear agenda and they should wake up with the stark realities of the day,” Mr. Anwar said Tuesday, referring to the governing coalition.

It is a triumphant return for the 61-year-old politician, who first rose to prominence as a student radical in the 1970s, was elected to Parliament and held the post of deputy prime minister before being dismissed from government and jailed for sodomy and corruption in highly politicized trials.

For the first time since independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia has two almost equally powerful opposing political forces in Parliament with two very different visions for the country’s future.

The National Front coalition, which previously enjoyed negligible opposition during five decades in power, long justified its authoritarian policies of detention without trial, bans on student involvement in politics and control over the media, among other measures, as the will of the people, who consistently gave it landslide victories.

But that argument is now much less persuasive to many Malaysians. Mr. Anwar’s allies took control of some of the wealthiest states in the country in March elections, including Penang, which is home to both Mr. Anwar and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Mr. Anwar’s plans have been complicated by an upcoming sodomy trial stemming from fresh allegations by a former campaign aide. The case does not appear to have hurt his standing among voters — a large majority of Malaysians surveyed in recent opinion polls believe the charges are politically motivated. Mr. Anwar was sentenced to nine years in prison for sodomy a decade ago but the conviction was overturned by the country’s highest court.

Mr. Anwar’s platform calls for abolishing or scaling back Malaysia’s most draconian laws and ending the system of ethnic preferences for the majority Malays. His wide margin of victory on Tuesday was a significant boost for those plans, analysts say, because Mr. Anwar retained support among Malays despite his pledge to undo some of their privileges.

Mr. Anwar and his allies have also said they would make the handing out of government contracts more transparent than the system of no-bid contracts that is common today.

“One of the things that has held this country back is the issue of corruption — resources are not being distributed in a way that is fair to the vast majority of people,” said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysian politics specialist at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington.

“What you’re seeing now is the rise of the voice of people wanting change for a broader constituency than just the elite.”

Mr. Anwar and his allies need at least 30 more seats in Parliament to unseat the governing coalition, a promise they say they will carry out by Sept. 16.

Tricia Yeoh, director of the Center for Public Policy Studies, said she believed there was enough infighting and disaffection within the governing party that these defections were feasible. But Anwar’s opposition movement is still young and its unity could fray if it moves too quickly into power, she said.

“I do think they have sufficient numbers,” Ms. Yeoh said of Anwar and his allies. “The issue is whether it’s the best and most strategic move for him now.”

Mr. Anwar leads a loose grouping of opposition parties that have clashed over whether Malaysia should be considered an Islamic state.

Although a majority of Malaysians are Muslim and Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, the country also has large Chinese and Indian minorities, among other ethnic groups.

Mr. Anwar must also reckon with a deeply entrenched elite that has a vested interest in the continuation of the current ethnic-based political system.

Malaysia’s urban upper class, Ms. Yeoh said, “is still a bit skeptical on how Anwar will be able to deliver.”

(Source: NYTimes)

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P/s: Yay! We win...!!! Ops...

Permatang Pauh Election [Part 2]

BERITA

Bas pengundi Hantu Ditahan
-yusmar@perawi-permatangpauh.com

Terkini : 3 buah bas dipercayai membawa "Pengundi Hantu" BN ,salah satu daripadanya bernombor pendaftaran MAA 6678 ditahan di salah sebuah Highway di seberang Jaya, oleh para petugas Pakatan Rakyat.

Lebih mengejutkan lagi apabila Dato'Seri Anwar Ibrahim sendiri naik ke atas bas tersebut.

Kini 3 buah bas "Pengundi Hantu" ditahan dan berada dibalai Polis Seberang Jaya, untuk siasatan selanjutnya.

Menurut pemandu bas tersebut, bas-bas ini datang dari Melaka.Kesemuanya menggunakan plat pendaftaran Pahang,Melaka dan Kuala-Lumpur.

Salah sebuah bas tersebut didapati didaftarkan pada alamat bangunan UMNO Melaka.

(Source: PermatangPauh.com)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P/s: OMG! What is this???

Permatang Pauh Election [Part 1]

Penang is still with the election fever. Tsunami came once to Penang but politic tsunami came twice including this time.

You can refer to Joseph and Farah’s blog for more information about this election. I didn’t go there and don’t want to go there today too as I don’t want to get stuck in the heavy traffic. In case you don’t know, traffic jam is number one in my dislike list :)

I don’t go, so I don’t have any photo regarding the election. About 2pm it rained here but stopped 15 minutes later. I hope the rain won’t stop the voter from going out and be responsible. Even one vote count! :)

Two days ago I was shock when the Live Traffic Feed showed so many peoples from Malaysiakini.com came in. I browsed the website and found out this:

I smiled. At least I could share some information even though the source wasn’t from me.

Yesterday, when I was in hurry driving from KOMTAR to my office I saw a bus full of policemen. I wonder where they were going. My wild guess was to the election place as I never see a police bus around in Penang. It was my first time.

It has been so long since our PM talked about politic matter and now I didn’t hear much about this election from him too. Hopefully the will meet soon… August 29 in parliament :)


Till later.

P/s: Going out to buy present for my niece!

By-election: Public holiday for Penang

PENANG: The state government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday “to ensure a full turnout of voters for the critical Permatang Pauh by-election”, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said in a statement that Penang had been mulling over the matter since the Elections Commission fixed the day, a working day, as the polling day “in defiance of public opinion that the move will reduce voter turnout.”

“Clearly reducing the voter turnout will affect the election results as it may be seen as favouring one party over the other,” he said.

He said this sentiment was further reinforced by the announcement by Education Director-General Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom that all government schools in Permatang Pauh would be given a special holiday on the day.

“Moreover, this special holiday need not be replaced which means it is an additional free holiday.

He said the latest act by the Federal government clearly showed that the Permatang Pauh by-election was no ordinary by-election but had crucial national significance with wide national implications.

“This is due to the participation of (PKR de facto leader) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his attempt to return to Parliament and make a bid for federal power as the alternative Prime Minister,” he said.

(Source: The Star)

P/s: I love Lim Guan Eng! Yay!